MEMS-Based Micropacked Thermal Desorption GC/PID for In-Field Volatile Organic Compound Profiling from Hot Mix Asphalt
Background: In response to the growing demand for the real-time, in-field characterization of odorous anthropogenic emissions, this study develops and uses a MEMS-based micropacked thermal desorption Gas Chromatography system coupled with a PhotoIonization Detector (GC/PID) for Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) plant emissions. Methods: The innovative portable device, Pyxis GC, enables the high-sensitivity profiling of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), particularly aldehydes and ketones, with sub-ppb detection limits using ambient air as the carrier gas. A comprehensive experimental design optimized the preconcentration parameters, resulting in an efficient, green analytical method evaluated via the Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI). Sorbent comparison showed quinoxaline-bridged cavitands outperform the conventional materials. Results and conclusions: The method was successfully deployed on site for source-specific sampling at an HMA plant, generating robust emission fingerprints. To assess environmental impact, a Generalized Additive Model (GAM) was developed, incorporating the process temperature and Sum of Odour Activity Values (SOAV) to predict odour concentrations. The model revealed a significant non-linear influence of temperature on emissions and validated its predictive capability despite the limited sample size. This integrated analytical–statistical approach demonstrates the utility of MEMS technology for real-time air quality assessment and odour dispersion modelling, offering a powerful tool for environmental monitoring and regulatory compliance.
Authors
- Donato Squillaci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8665-845X)
- Riccardo Gori (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8310-5240)
- Domenico Cipriano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2693-8633)
- Ettore Guerriero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4199-418X)
- Fabio Cioni
- Luca Masini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2970-1009)
- Antonio Baldassarre (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6124-3570)
- Simone De Sio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4538-3941)
- Chiara Vita (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9190-6550)
- Giovanni Cappelli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5623-1671)
- Mieczysław Sajewicz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7575-0760)
- Veronica Traversini
- Ivan Elmi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0235-3358)
- Nicola Mucci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0579-1035)
- Stefano Zampolli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0431-0693)
- Niccolò Fanfani
- Stefano Dugheri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3078-7188)
- Ilaria Rapi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2412-5882)
- Lorenzo Venturini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3804-9607)
- Alexander Pittella
Institutions
- Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione Ambientale del Piemonte (IT)
- Institute of Nanostructured Materials (IT)
- Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi (IT)
- Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico (Italy) (IT)
- National Research Council (IT)
- Polo Universitario Città di Prato (IT)
- Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research (IT)
- Link Campus University (IT)
- University of Florence (IT)
- Sapienza University of Rome (IT)
- University of Silesia in Katowice (PL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Separations
- Published
- 2025-05-19
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/separations12050133
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.67
Funders
- Università degli Studi di Firenze